Tales of Brave Vesperia
by CWolf2
Summary: Judith in her own microcosm, which boils down to Judith being Judith and those around her who are just swept along the way. This story will consist of interrelated shorts.
1. Chapter 1

**Tales of Brave Vesperia: A Bargin **

Karol had long since called it a night, and left Dahngrest's eastern most tavern as both Yuri and Judith nursed a couple of after dinner drinks. He had to get up early and see about finishing paperwork to gain official Guild recognition.

Rapede curled up snuggly under a wooden table where an empty bowl lie forgotten as he slept off his meal. Yuri lounged in a chair with his feet out and crossed at his ankles. Clenched between both hands was a menu as he studiously scanned the desserts.

Judith on the other hand seemed content to just people-watch. A nearly empty glass teetered between her long fingers as her rose colored eyes lazily watched patrons come and go. However, there was one location her gaze was repeatedly drawn, and her slightly amused expression turned mildly contemplative.

In a dimly lit corner of the bar, beads of sparkling condensation fell from a tall pitcher of a frothy brew. Judy watched as a man with a dark cowl thrown back over his shoulders nursed a mug only half filled with amber liquid.

With his hood pulled back, Judith absently wondered if the hair that fell over his ears and shoulders was a limey blond or pale green. But that wasn't what most intrigued her. Despite his hunched posture, the man's movements were incredibly efficient. Even the simple act of pouring himself more beer was done without any needless motion.

Judith grinned. She finished off the remains of her cocktail and slowly, yet deliberately rose from the table.

"Where you off to?" Yuri's dark grey eyes peeked over the menu curiously.

"Refill," Judith said holding out a glass between her slender gloved fingers. "And a little bit of mingling."

Yuri took a token scan around the nearly empty bar and shrugged his shoulders-noticing nothing in particular. "Hm," and turned back to his menu as Judith sauntered over to the bar.

She received a refill with a nod of thanks to the, pleasantly laid back, bartender before unabashedly approaching the man that caught her eye.

…vVv….

The Hunting Blades' second in command, Tison, felt the cold bubbly brew wash over his tongue and down his throat. He set his frosted mug down with a silent sigh laced with the scent of alcohol. He'd earned every last drop, and planned to savor an entire pitcher of beer by himself.

A clingy apprentice entering the first stages of puberty along with the guild's current financial situation had worn him down to the bone over the past couple of months. While he could do nothing about Nan's coming of age aside from waiting out the proverbial storm, Tison had come up with a fantastic solution to the his guild's money woes— although a bit bloody… It involved rounding up every "upstart-monster-hunting" wannabe into a dark room and a set of claws dripping with poison. All Tison needed was an hour, and Hunting Blades could regain their monopoly on the monster eradication business.

…Serves those punks right for muscling in oh his beloved livelihood.

While Tison grinned as a result of his gore filled daydream, something tall and sensuously curvy came a sauntering his way. His grin faded.

Tison wanted to be alone tonight and savor his solitude. It had been hard enough to lose his apprentice, Nan, but now… Tison glared out the corner of his eyes stealthily.

"Mind if I join you?"

He felt the hairs on his neck rise on end. That voice certainly hit below the belt, and it only meant one thing. Trouble.

Tison suspiciously glanced at the display of smooth skin and blue feathery appendages to his right and then sourly yanked his gaze away, as if trying to banish the image from his mind. Brave Vesperia.

Yup, trouble.

"What the hell do you want?" he said gruffly, angry that his respite was disturbed by this monster loving wench.

Judith only smiled lazily, undeterred by Tison's curt attitude. She set down a glass of shimmering red liquid and took the bar stool right beside him. Tison's body grew tense.

"I thought we could prove useful to each other," she said easily.

Tison's hand spasmed around his mug.

Too close.

She was too damn close. He could practically feel heat radiating from her body. Or maybe it was the beer… either way Tison's body seemed to kick start a chain reaction that was beyond his control.

"What the hell would I want with some monster lover like you," he growled in a husky voice that surprised him. His strange hazel eyes narrowed at the stained wood of the counter top.

"Ba'ul is no monster, he's my friend," she said with such a subtle amount of bite to her voice that Tison thought he dreamed it.

Crazy wench.

"Hmph." Tison pretended to ignore his curvy companion and topped of his mug from the warming pitcher.

The pair drew the curious glance of the lone bartender. It wasn't every day the veritable poster-girl of Brave Vesperia prowled the local pubs. If it were a busier hour, tongues would have certainly been wagging. Feeling strangely self-conscious, Tison's hands itched to occupy themselves.

Oh, he wished she'd take the hint and just go away. Ignoring Brave Vesperia's Judith was a damn near impossible task. He could practically feel her lean in for the kill when she said.

"I love the way you move."

Tison choked. Spectacularly.

Finally he looked at her full on, eyes tearing profusely as his body struggled for breath. Through his blurry vision he noted the slight uptick located at the corner of her lips. She was laughing at him, damn it!

Tison brought his breathing under control with aching slowness. Finally he leveled his strange hazel eyes at her. "What is it you want?" he snapped.

Her smile grew broader, including the other side of that pretty mouth of hers.

"You."

Tison grit his teeth and hissed, with obvious self-restraint, "Enough with your games!"

Judith shrugged, the motion brining the power of her generous chest to light within the confines of her gold trimmed halter-top.

"Its no lie," she said casually. "I would like to employ your services."

His services? What services? Beast extermination? What other service could he provide? Tison felt heat rise up his neck into his face. He banished the indecent stray image in his mind with everything he had.

Beast extermination… It had to be. At this, Tison eyed his companion suspiciously. Between her and that longhaired swordsman, Lowell, Brave Vesperia already had enough firepower in their small arsenal. Not that he'd be caught dead complimenting a guild that had some prepubescent kid as its leader.

"What?"

"Your form is beautiful. I've never seen a martial art with such agility in combat before," she said matter-of-factly. "I want you to show me."

Tison felt heat rise to his face once again; couldn't blame the booze either. He looked at those crimson eyes for mischief, but found none. She crossed her long legs at the knee as if willing to wait patiently, all night if need be, for a reply.

"Show you?"

Judith of Brave Vesperia smiled with feline intent and whispered, "Show me."

The ambiguity, or perceived ambiguity, of her words and actions were likely to fracture Tison's link to sanity. His body suffered through all sorts of unwanted reactions, while his brain was having trouble latching onto the woman's thought process.

'_She. Is. Crazy…'_

"Show you what?!" Tison asked dubiously, suddenly wishing he could pull up his cowl and hide in its comforting darkness.

She replied without hesitation, "To move like you do."

"… I already have an apprentice," Tison lamely managed after a ten second hesitation."

Tison glanced down to where tailored blue cloth did little to hide a pair of wonderfully smooth thighs. Was it him, or was she getting closer by the minute?

"That's great," she said brightly, "I don't want to be your apprentice. But if you show me the basics, I can make it worth your while."

The Krytian leaned in even more and the hairs at the nape stood on end with a distressing cocktail of fear, suspicion and arousal. Tison's body grew so rigid he thought he'd break.

A bead of nervous sweat raced down Tison's temple. He found himself stupidly mouthing the word, "How?"

"That's what I'd like to know too," stated a masculine voice. It sounded jovial, but Tison was quick to pick up an under current of violence. Whether that violence was directed at him or not, Tison didn't care a bit, he was just silently thankful for the distraction.

Yuri Lowell took a seat opposite the Hunting Blade and casually propped one elbow on the bar top. "I thought you wanted a refill Judy," His dark grey eyes settled on the Krytian's unreadable half smile.

"I got a little sidetracked," she replied nonchalantly sipping her liquor.

"So fill me in. What exactly is worth this guy's while?" Lowell inclined his head to the dumbfounded Hunting Blade, but caught Judith's eyes with a bit of a challenge.

Tison looked at Lowell then back to the Krytian, who despite her socially acceptable distanced, seemed all too close for comfort. This was the last time he'd ever show his face in this pub again, that he swore.

"I was thinking a mutual exchange. I think both of us will find the results satisfactory," she smiled ignoring Yuri's question.

Lowell's casual pose became tense. "Judy," he said in a warning tone.

Tison raked his abnormally long painted nails through his long pale hair. The sword-wielding upstart looked ready to run him through and the crazy Krytian looked like she wanted eat him. He needed to leave with both his sanity and innards intact.

"What are your terms," Tison groused.

"Three times a week, day or night anywhere you want and as long as you can stand it," she smiled as if proud of herself.

"Judy!" Yuri's fist slammed onto the bar top.

'_Three times a week! As long as he….'_ If he weren't careful, Tison was worried that _**he'd**_might get the wrong idea, let alone Brave Vesperia's master swordsman.

"What?" the Krytian focused on her guild-mate with a slight shrug. "I'm simply working out a arrangement. Think of it as a benefit to our guild."

Lowell's scrunched in confusion, "Huh-"

"One thousand," Tison spoke a little to hastily, picking a number out of thin air to end this quickly.

"Hm, it's a little steep," the Krytian said thoughtfully putting a slim finger under her chin. "A session or weekly?"

Tison was now sweating profusely beneath his draped clothing, wondering when she'd back the hell off. From the looks of it, Lowell was just as confused as he was, but that did not stop the dangerous vibe the swordsman seemed to exude in copious amounts.

"Fine," the lithe Hunting Blade snapped back, completely defeated. "One thousand, gella a week."

At that, he couldn't take any more. Moving with inhuman speed, Tison left a lump sum on the bar top and hurriedly vacated the premise.

"Aww, he left so suddenly," Judith said with that same lackadaisical expression, "It looks like I'll have to visit the Hunting Blades Headquarters tomorrow."

Truth be told, Yuri couldn't tell of she was joking or not. Yuri's eyes followed the retreating Hunting Blade's second to the door before settling back on Judith. With a defeated sigh he asked, "What are you up to?"

Judith grinned, "Just a new hobby."

End


	2. Chapter 2

**New Hobbies and Miscommunications**

Even with the spiky tops of his hair, Karol only reached to a little over five feet tall. He was what Raven referred to a late bloomer. It was due this his lack of height and unwillingness to behave like a jerk that he was tossed around the busy Dahngrest street like a kicked stone.

Good manners had no place in the chaotic open-air markets on Dahngrest's west side. Merchants and guildsmen of all shapes hurried to various destinations with ruthless urgency. Poor Karol could barely see the afternoon sun let alone his quickly moving quarry. It was a miracle that he managed to stay upright.

Pushed and shoved this way and that, Karol pumped his short legs with a sense of building urgency, yelling, "Hey, Yuri! Wait up!"

He fought valiantly against the raging tide of Dahngrest residents, but to no avail. Karol could not keep up with Yuri's long purposeful strides, and willingness to elbow and force his way through the mob of shoppers. It was only by the glint off a, keep-sake bodi-blastia, and the flash of long dark hair that Karol was able to keep Yuri in view.

He was struck suddenly from behind, this time a hammering blow landed between his shoulder blades and Karol pitched face first into the dirt. A hurried "sorry, kid" was uttered, but the culprit disappeared just as soon as he appeared.

Now at the mercy of an apathetic populous, Karol could scarcely save himself from getting trampled into an unrecognizable pulp. A sharp-heeled boot crushed his hand and Karol let out a strangled yelp.

Suddenly a savage snarl ripped through the market, clearing the shoppers like a frightened flock of birds. Fearing that a monster had somehow slipped into the city, Karol pulled himself up quickly, only to stare down the long pointed muzzle of a scarred one-eyed canine.

Karol exhaled harshly and sat back on his rear to catch his breath. "Thanks, Rapede,"

Pipe clutched between his teeth Rapede swayed his head from side to side as if daring anyone to even look at the young Brave Vesperia leader the wrong way. With a snort and a shake of his blue fur Rapede trotted off to the outskirts of the crowd, clearly wanting Karol to follow by the look in his single intelligent canine eye. Karol hurriedly complied.

Three dark back-alleyways and a dusty side street later, Karol finally spotted Yuri angrily making his way towards an achingly familiar Hunting Blades Headquarters. Karol swallowed, he'd never get used to that huge metal-banded door. At twice the height of a man the door looked better at keeping something or someone in rather than serve as an entrance.

Pausing to catch his breath, Karol helplessly watched as Yuri aggressively pushed into a large crowd milling about the huge metal doors. Almost instantly Karol spotted Clint. The massive Hunting Blades leader towered over everyone, looking more like an ancient stone guardian than flesh and blood human.

...

Yuri finally managed to shove his way to the front when Clint sidestepped in front him. Glaring at the boulder-esque obstruction to his path, Yuri forced his gaze upward to meet the other man's eyes.

"What?" Yuri clipped, his stormy grey eyes narrowed with impatience.

"Adults 50 gald. Children 25," Clint recited the prices by rote. He looked down and spotted Rapede sitting at Yuri's feet and added, "… Pets 10 gald."

"I'm not here for…" Yuri looked around, annoyed, "whatever it is. I'm here to pick a guild member."

Yuri tried to step around, but Clint moved, easily blocking Yuri once again. He then repeated.

"Adults 50 gald, Children 25 gald. Pets 10."

Sneering through his teeth, Yuri said, "I said I'm here for Judy-"

Clint looked down and folded his muscular arms, his patience also wearing thing. "No one gets through unless you pay," he said in a deep gruff voice.

"Then call her for me." Yuri bit back.

Clint's reply was immediate and mockingly succinct, "No, money. No, entry. Next!"

Then to prove his point, Clint accepted a handful of money from a portly man with thinning hair who looked oddly eager to get in.

Yuri was about to raise another argument when Karol stepped in with the money already in hand. His childish face was smudged with dirt, which made him look younger than his 13 years of age. Not to mention, the towing Hunting Blade leader always made him nervous.

Clint took the money with out a word.

Yuri waited for the big man to get out of his way, but the burly man did not budge.

"Well?" Yuri asked snidely.

""Read the sign," Clint pointed to the roughly painted sign to his left. No weapons."

"Bullshit," Yuri replied instantly.

A shadow fell over Clint's stoic mask, "No. Weapons."

"Please Yuri," Karol pulled on Yuri's arm fearfully. The last thing he needed was for his guild to start causing trouble. Not while he was deeply buried in his quest for official recognition for Brave Vesperia.

Yuri ground his teeth but threw his sword on a table piled high with enough weapons to fetch a king's ransom.

Yuri looked incensed, but when the large man stepped to the side he stalked in darkly with Rapede following sedately. Karol hurriedly thanked the Hunting Blade leader and rushed after Yuri and Rapede.

When the metal gates closed behind them Karol looked around. The place was just as huge and intimidating as he remembered. Weapons lined the stone walls and equally deadly individuals loitered about. There they found a long hallway backed up with a curiously longer queue than the one outside. Yuri cursed, but did not fight the press of humanity as it slowly worked through the hall and out into a sprawling courtyard.

…..

Later, Karol was once again deserted; both Yuri and Rapede were long gone. This time he stood at the rear of a rowdy crowd, cheering, jeering and pumping fists. Once again poor Karol's height disadvantage became apparent, he couldn't see what was going on.

Exasperated and desperate Karol squirmed his way between bodies and dangerously swinging elbows. What felt like an eternity later, he heard a familiar voice shouting over the din. Karol looked up and spotted someone walking the ring's fence as if were second nature, yelling and scolding unruly spectators as she did so.

Karol blushed to his ears.

It was Nan.

…..

Nan was busy keeping the more rowdy of the large crowd from climbing into the expansive training ring. With nimble feet she quickly stalked back and forth kicking and swatting at anyone who dared get too close.

"Nan! Nan!"

The young Hunting Blade stopped and peered into the packed spectators. She spotted Karol diligently weaving his way through the human press. He looked flushed and about to faint.

Heaving a large sigh, Nan launched her nimble body into the fray swinging, effectively clearing enough space so that Karol could catch his breath. He always was a little helpless at times.

"What's? What's going on here?" Karol asked, between ragged breaths.

Nan's face darkened and Karol feared he said the wrong thing.

She balled her fists at her sides as if to hold her temper in check. "It's been like this ever since _she_ started showing up," Nan said sourly with an agitated wave into the ring, where lo and behold stood his missing guild mate.

"Judith!"

Suddenly feeling exhausted, Karol felt that he should have known that Judith had something to do with this commotion. And what was she doing? Wearing a training gi, which was more clothing than he'd seen her wear in months, and happily circling the only Hunting Blade member who never failed to leave him with the occasional nightmare. Tison.

"I don't see why though! You'd think these idiots had never seen anyone train before…" Nan crossed her arms in a huff, almost ranting to herself.. "Why would Tison a agree to this-this nonsense!"

Nan recalled the exact day that leggy Krytian showed up at the guild. It was bad enough that she walked in like she owned the place, but for master to drop everything and… _errr_…

"At first it was just the guild members that wanted to watch Master Tison train… _**her**_," Nan hissed. "But then the next time she showed up the whole blasted city was at our doorstep!"

"So…" Nan looked angry and embarrassed, and grudgingly admitted, "We're selling tickets. To boost to coffers."

Another cheer ripped through the crowd, this one louder than the last. Both Karol and Nan snapped their attention back to the ring.

There was Judith happily seated, looking rather proud of herself. Upon further inspection it appeared that her seat was a sweating and panting Tison who was bent on all fours like a table top in the dirt.

A murderous vibe chilled Karol to the bone. He looked over and Nan who had her fists clenched into white knuckled balls and bearing her teeth in a constrained snarl. Karol stepped to the side, only be nearly knocked to the ground as Yuri appeared out of nowhere and vaulted over the fence in one smooth motion. Some days Karol just couldn't win.

…..

The training ring was large, even larger than the one he trained in as a former knight in Zaphias. This gave Yuri enough time to nurture his raging temper as he closed in on his target.

_Judy…_

There she was, gi slightly fallen open revealing sweat kissed skin. She was winded, that much he could tell by the distracting rise and fall of her chest, but that did nothing to make that lackadaisical smile he both loved and hated disappear.

Oddly enough, the creepy Hungting Blade that Yuri was developing a healthy dislike for did not seem to be in any hurry to throw off Judith's added weight, despite his own sweaty and breathless appearance.

It was Yuri's furious approach that Tison's self preservation instinct kicked in, and he gently got to he knees and all but shuddered as Judith slid off his back. Gods this woman was going to drive him insane. If only she wasn't such a good student. For what she called a "new hobby", Judith was a very quick study in hand-to-hand combat.

"I'm going to clean up," he muttered before quick stepping away. Tison felt that it was best not to be present for what was to transpire between the two. In the short days he'd gotten to know Judith he could conclude that he wasn't the only one frustratingly mystified by her curious personality.

"Hello," Judith smiled at Yuri casually as if the situation were completely normal. She gave him a once over with her crimson eyes and with that same smile, asked, "What's wrong?"

"Where to start?" Yuri ground out. "One, you disappeared. Two-"

"I recall telling you that I was going out."

"For almost a week?" Yuris said harshly raking his fingers through his long hair. "Two, it took three days tracking Ba'ul to see if he knew anything. Do you know how hard it is to communicate with him?"

Yuri didn't add that he could have sworn the entelexeia was laughing at him that day, or that somehow Rapede miraculously served as a quasi interpreter. That scene still made Yuri's head hurt just trying to make sense of it all.

"Three, you disappeared!"

"You said that twice so far."

"But that's what's wrong!" Leave it to Judy to give him gray hairs.

"You're angry. Because you were worried…" It was a statement rather than a question. Judith was still working on the ins and outs of interpersonal relationships.

"…Yes," Yuri admitted suddenly felling tired. "Look, I know you like to do your own thing. But at least let us know what you're up to."

What was he, her father? Sometimes moments with Judy felt so surreal to Yuri.

"Hm, seems rather constrictive, and one sided," she eyed him accusingly. "… but I will give this a try," Judith said with a carefree shrug.

"Good now come on, lets go home."

"No can do, I'm afraid. We've sold out on tickets for the next two training sessions. I'll be here till the end of the weekend."

Suddenly Yuri's temper evaporated. He dropped to the ground in cross-legged heap with his head cradled between his hands.

End


	3. Chapter 3

**Uninhibited **

Commandant Flynn Schifo of the Imperial Knights led a white equine beast through newly made dirt road that cut through a sparsely wooded enclave. The pale dirt bore telltale signs of heavily laden wagons, which had gouged and made tracks in the loose dirt.

Eventually the small green woods opened up into a wide clearing revealing two buildings in various degrees of completion. Flynn walked up to a hastily erected sign that read **BRAVE VESPERIA** in thick sloppy white paint.

Leaving his mount by the sign, Flynn carefully trod upon a stone walkway that wobbled under his steel boots. Reaching out a gauntleted hand, Flynn tugged on the new shinny brass doorknob. The young commandant's handsome brow furrowed.

'_Locked?'_

Flynn thumped on a rough wood with the back of his gauntlets in quick business-like taps. Nothing. He wasn't seeing things; the small sign on the doorknob did say "open". He knocked again.

…Still nothing.

Flynn peered through a windowpane into the building's interior. Most of the shades were drawn, leaving the first floor too dark to see anything. However, his blue eyes were drawn to a pair of muddy boots in the foyer, which were still slick with thick wet brown muck from ankle to sole. This could only mean that the boots couldn't have been there long.

Flynn recalled passing by a small marsh on his way here and his eyes narrowed with annoyed suspicion. His handsome boyish features hardened. Without of doubt someone was here, and he wasn't about to leave empty handed. The town of Aurion was counting on his success.

Without an ounce of hesitation and determination in his blue eyes, Flynn marched around the back of the building to find another way in; growing up in the slums with Yuri gave rise to habits he would never admit to.

Crabgrass and wildflowers crunched beneath his steel boots as Flynn rounded the incomplete complex. Further down Flynn encountered a maze of clotheslines, each laden with everything from bed sheets to socks. The rest of the yard was overgrown with a tangle of vines and shrubs, something that the commandant did not feel like grappling with.

Flynn "tsked" when he laid eyes on a pair of frayed boxers shorts. Yuri never did know how to maintain his clothes properly.

He entered the fresh scented labyrinth with caution. The high sun beat down against the white sheets and a soft breeze fluttered the fabric. Flynn had ducked in between drying trousers and shirts when he heard a faint humming. He followed the voice, hoping to find assistance, quickly. If he was gone too long, his absence would be discovered. It wasn't easy escaping from Sodia, and Flynn would not have his efforts going to waste.

Finally after a few wrong turns and dead ends, he spotted a silhouette behind a large white linen sheet.

"Excuse m-" the words died before they could exit the decorated knight's mouth.

As if by magic a tall sleek form unfolded before his eyes. At full height Flynn discovered the contours- generous contours of a woman's body. Even Flynn Schifo, the embodiment of knightly virtue felt his mouth go a little dry.

He couldn't tear his eyes away; least of all speak. Part of his mind questioned such a view. The lines of this mystery woman's body were awfully delineated despite being behind a long white bed sheet. This led to Flynn's second startling revelation.

She was naked!

Struck dumb, Flynn watched the lithe silhouette move fluidly behind the hanging white sheets. Up and down it moved in some kind of hypnotic ritual.

"Staring is rude you know," slender fingers wrapped around the hanging sheet and pulled it aside. "Most people offer a greeting when crashing into a person's backyard."

"uh," grunted hoarsely.

In full view, Judith, the Krytian bombshell of Brave Vesperia, grinned mysteriously. "Close enough," she shrugged and then bent down to pluck something else from a thigh high wicker basket.

The first intelligible thought that came to Flynn's mind was staunch relief. She wasn't naked. He wasn't sure we would have been able to handle it if she was completely sans clothing.

Her body was scarcely encompassed by what looked like a two-piece bathing suit of blue and gold, which hugged and restrained her generous dimensions.

Judith kept that mystifying smile on her face as she reached down again into the basket, and plucked a kind of leather holster reserved for a small knife.

"I see you're going to make me guess why you've come to visit us, hm?" she said in the mildly amused way that Flynn had come to know from their few encounters.

Judith didn't seem bothered in the least that the handsome young soldier appeared stiffly distressed. Instead she stepped closer to Flynn as if trying to get a better look as his expression.

"So let me guess. You've come to higher Brave Vesperia for a job, right?"

Flynn nodded taking a tiny step back for every forward step Judith took.

The long eared Krytian smiled while putting her hands behind her back and bending at the waist; Flynn's eyes grew a little bit rounder.

"Hm… lets see," Judith said placing a slender finger under her chin. "You couldn't get in through the front door so you wanted to break in through the back, correct?"

"N-no. I-"

Judith's ruby eyes narrowed with inward glee.

"That's alright," She looked up to the second floor window, and said casually. "Yuri's most likely napping. That's probably why he locked the front."

"Ahem," Flynn cleared his throat politely. "But if possible I would like to settle the arrangements as soon as possible," he said in a voice more collected than he felt.

"Of course," she said in that relaxed and gentle voice of hers. "One moment, please."

Taking the leather strap in her hands, Judith stepped through the loop and brought the material along her calf and thigh.

Convinced that she was taking her time on purpose, Flynn helplessly watched, as the leather was pulled taut against that supple thigh, and then fastened around her hips. A sheer amount of will allowed Flynn to drag his eyes away and look Judith in the eye when she was done.

"Let's go inside, shall we?"

Flynn's voice cracked when he replied, "Yes."

…

Once inside, Flynn distracted himself by looking around the guild's interior. There wasn't much in the way of decoration or furniture. It was very Spartan in fact. Then again according to Estelle, Brave Vesperia only moved into their new headquarters less than a month ago.

At the end of as second story hall, Judith beckoned him forward through a double doorway. Inside Flynn's eyes met a shadowy interior, which took his eyes moments to adjust to.

Judith had not moved from the door and Flynn was treated to a slumbering, Yuri Lowell. Even with the shades drawn to keep out the sun, Flynn could make out bare feet propped up on an antique desk while the dark haired swordsman precariously reclined in a leather chair that had seen better days.

"You'll have excuse me, I have laundry to finish. And as an apology for your inconvenience, I'll wake up our current bookkeeper," Judith said with pleasant smile that was almost too professional.

Before Flynn could even thank the Krytian she slammed the door with enough force to shake the building to its foundation.

Yuri nearly fell as he flailed about in the squeaky leather chair. He fortunately caught himself with both hands braced against a large wooden desktop. With his long black hair falling in his eyes, Yuri wildly looked about for the cause of such a rude awakening.

"Damnit, Judy," he growled casting bleary dark grey eyes across the room. But instead of the sleek and curvy Krytian there was another. Yuri blinked.

"Flynn, how the hell did you get in here?" Yuri asked throwing his arms over his head in a joint popping stretch.

"Y-Your friend," a fleeting image of smooth skin drifted across his mind like a stray feather in a strong breeze, "J-Judith let me in."

"Oh, did she?" Yuri grey eyes were now fully alert and equally full of cunning. Was that a hitch in Flynn's voice just now? Yes, yes it was. Yuri's lips quirked into a sly grin.

"Generous, isn't she?"

Flynn felt heat rush up his collar. Generous wasn't the half of it.

"What's got you so hot and bothered?" Yuri drawled. "I haven't seen you this red since I pushed you into the women's bath when we were kids."

Flynn's jaw tightened. He wasn't about to dignify that with an answer. Yuri chuckled.

"Come on, pull up chair. You look like you're about to fall over," Yuri said reclining in his leather hand-me-down seat. Flynn was such a cherry-boy, and as far as Yuri knew, still was.

"So what did our Judy do to you? She can be kind of a fox when she want to," Yuri grinned.

"Nothing of the sort," Flynn defended, and then added brokenly. "She's, she's just a very f-free spirited." ... _Uninhibited more like…_

"Ha, ha. That's a first!" Yuri barked with humor. "Nah, its more like Judy just doesn't give a damn."

"Well, I did catch her in the middle of doing the laundry," Flynn replied with a frown; he did not enjoying being laughed at.

"Laundry?" Yuri immediately sobered. "That's today?"

No sooner when the words had left his mouth, Yuri pushed back the window shade and peeked out the window.

Flynn, now completely annoyed, rewarded Yuri with a flat gaze. He hadn't even been able to tell Yuri why he wanted to hire out the small guild. Unlike some _others_ he had a schedule to keep.

"Yuri?"

No response. Flynn's longtime friend was transfixed on whatever was going on outside the window.

"Yuri, I have business-"

Yuri held up a hand without looking, "One second, ok?"

"Yuri!" Flynn clipped in his best commander's voice.

Clearly annoyed, Yuri dragged his eyes away from the window, though he still held the shade open with his finger.

There was a long pregnant pause.

"Does she always walk around like that?" Flynn curiously hazarded.

Yuri shrugged, "Only when its her turn to do the laundry. She washes everything; even what she's wearing. But you get used to it."

"Somehow I doubt that." Flynn murmured, looking at the slight coloration on his friend's cheeks.

Yuri let the shade fall again and eyed his friend levelly. "So aside from peeking at Judy, what brings you to our humble abode?"

For the record, Flynn was not peeking. Everything he saw was in plain sight. "Peeking, what would you call the act you were just engaged in?"

"Details," Yuri shrugged dismissively.

"Anyway. Back to the task at hand… As the town Aurion's representative I wish to hire your guild to help transport a large amount supplies from Zaphias," Flynn said tightly.

Yuri looked at his friend lazily and leaned back in the old leather chair as if to resume his nap. "Transporting goods? Hm, that sounds like a job for the Capt'n. Unfortunately, he's on a mission to buy furniture with the newly dubbed, Interior Decorator Princess. Come back tomorrow."

At that moment something in the recesses of Flynn's mind cracked.

The End


	4. Chapter 4

**Domestic Scene I: Home **

Reclining against a haphazard row of wooden crates, Yuri inhaled the scent of fresh cut cedar and sighed contentedly. _So this is it, huh?_

Home.

Home used to be the slums in Zaphias, where he grew up in a tight knit community. While scraping by had been tough, Yuri had no ill thoughts when it came to the warm and caring people who had brought him up.

But now, through odd enough circumstances, he was part of a guild. A small business enterprise started by whom Yuri fondly referred to as the Captain, Karol Capel.

With a couple of high profile ties like Raven's Altosk, Fortune's Market, and the royal family, they had acquired a nice piece of land to build a home base. A half-day's walk from Deidon Hold and Quoi Woods in each direction. Practically on Zaphias' doorstep.

To some the Brave Vesperia headquarters were seen as a frontier operation; spreading the influence of the world's guilds across the globe. After all, someone had to help curb Zaphias' imperialistic habits.

Yuri had drifted off into a light snooze when footsteps descended a flight of stairs. He knew exactly whom that light step belonged to without opening his eyes.

"So what do you think?" he asked stretching out languidly.

"Of what?" came Judith's smooth reply as she sauntered over to Yuri's improvised couch.

Yuri shrugged, "Well, you know… home. A… safe place to kick back and relax."

"Hm, never had much of a home before," she said looking around at the bare walls. Her sensitive ears picked up Karol's footsteps, and the tap of Rapede's claws as they enthusiastically explored the upper levels of their new place.

She regarded Yuri before her lips spread into an easy genuine smile and said, "I think I like it."

Perhaps home was more than just a place to relax.

….

One month later.

A scene much like before, Yuri now lounged on a large pinkish flora print couch. He wasn't much for the color scheme, but it was a good couch. It was firm and cushiony in all the right places, and large enough for him to extend to the full length of his body. Despite its flaws, Yuri knew he was in love. He and this couch were made for each other.

Yuri signed, content. He really had to hand it to Karol and the Interior Decorator Princess for a job well done.

Curtains, rugs, furniture… this place was starting to look pretty cozy. Of course one might have to ignore the pile of all 'things metal and deadly' stacked in the corner. Judy had picked up some interesting habits in the past few weeks. She was becoming quite the collector, or should he say hoarder. They were going to have to talk about that someday.

The corner of Yuri's eyes teared as he yawned.

He didn't even bother to open his eyes when he heard the sound of keys in the door, which announce Karol and Judy's return. Speak of the devil…

The door groaned open and there was a large 'thump" as if something heavy was unceremoniously thrown into the corner. Like an oversized bag.

"Hey, welcome back-"

Yuri's greeting was met with angry feet thundering up stairs, which was quickly followed by a loud bang from a slamming bedroom door. Bad sign.

"… So how was it?"

Judith sat down gracefully next to a snoozing Rapede on a deep red love seat.

"Fine. We completed the task, and received pay," Judith stated.

Yuri blinked at the uncharacteristic terse tone in Judy's voice. Judy didn't give away much, but Yuri was slowly starting to scratch the surface of all her nuances. Simply put. She wasn't happy.

"What happened," Yuri sighed and sat up, throwing his arms up in a long stretch.

"They tried to cheat him." Judith's crimson gaze was flat and she crossed her arms over her ample chest.

Yuri let out an exasperated breath and dramatically threw himself back down onto the couch, "Again?"

"… Yes."

It wasn't exactly a secret that more than a handful of other guilds considered Brave Vesperia a joke. Yes, they've had some high profile missions and the backing of members from Altosk, but many couldn't look past the guild's 13-year-old leader. Or the fact that Karol's guild history had not always been reputable, considering he had joined and quit nearly a half a dozen guilds in the past.

More often than not Karol would get taken advantage of in an insidious form of mockery that set Yuri's blood boiling. The situation had gotten to a point where either he or Judith would always find excuses to accompany Karol on his solo missions as a reminder to all just _**who**_ exactly they were dealing with.

Raven had warned him that gaining recognition would be no easy task among the old guild establishment.

Judith tilted her head to the side and grinned distantly, "But don't worry we managed to double the reward in the end."

Yuri's lips quirked into a knowing smile, "I bet."

"But…" she said slowly, "This is getting very tiresome."

She got up, and with one arm braced on the back, Judith leaned over the edge of the couch where Yuri's head lie. One of her antennae dangled off to the side.

Remembering his poker face, Yuri forced himself to meet Judith's gaze head on. He just looked up without saying anything, and absently he reached out to ghost the back of his finger along the soft edge of her light blue antennae. Judith used to move way when he unconsciously reached out to her, but lately she'd allow the occasional glancing touch.

Only partially distracted by they way she leaned her body over the couch, Yuri met her gaze equally. Neither smiled or had any other particular expression. This was another inexplicable development after they began to live together.

He wasn't sure when or how it started, but he always felt that he understood his mystifying friend just a little bit better, almost on an instinctual level after one of these staring sessions. Yuri gathered that it might be the same for Judy as well.

Yuri eventually broke the spell.

"Why don't we head on over the Dahngrest, all four of us." He said retracting his finger from Judith's thick blue plumage.

"Hm…I was thinking the same thing," Judith said her crimson eyes alight with an unspoken understanding.

Yuri's grinned turned ominous, "I think its time we showed our faces around there more often. Any body in particular you wanted to visit?"

Judith mirrored that dangerous smile in return. "Oh, there are a few people in mind that I would _love_ to see."

**The End**


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